Archaeology
Ornate Jin Dynasty tombs found in Changzhi city
Archaeologists from the Changzhi Archaeological Research Institute have uncovered three decorated Jin Dynasty tombs in Changzhi city, China.
The tomb was first discovered in November 2023, with the results of the excavation now published by the Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
According to the researchers, the site consists of three brick-chamber tombs that date from the Jin Dynasty, an imperial dynasty of China that existed between AD 1115 and 1234.
Image Credit : Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
During the Jin dynasty’s rule, its emperors embraced Han customs and reinforced the Great Wall to defend against the rising Mongol Empire. Additionally, the Jin dynasty facilitated various internal cultural developments, including the revival of Confucianism.
The three tombs are located in Qiangcheng village in Changzhi’s Lucheng district, however, they were found in varying degrees of looting and damage.
According to the researchers, the walls of the tombs are decorated with murals showing human depictions and flora, and have characteristics and architectural styles typical of the Jin period.
Image Credit : Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Tomb M19 and Tomb M20 have brick-carved arches, doors, windows, figures and floral patterns, and inscriptions that describe events from history. Tomb M21 is more distinct among the three tombs, and has chamber walls that imitate a wooden structure.
Speaking to ChinaDaily: “The tombs reflect traditional Chinese culture, social ethics, ancient architectural characteristics, tomb architecture and funeral customs, providing new materials and insights for the study of ancient tomb culture and archaeological history.”
Header Image Credit : Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Sources : ChinaDaily
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the University of Warwick are conducting an underwater study to document the submerged Mesolithic site of Bouldnor Cliff before it vanishes due to erosion.
Bouldnor Cliff is situated in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and the southern coast of England. The site was first discovered in 1999 when divers observed a lobster discarding worked flint tools from its burrow on the seabed.
At a time when Britain was cut off from mainland Europe by rising sea levels, the area of the Solent was a river valley inhabited by an advanced Mesolithic community who developed a boat building technology 2,000 years ahead of their time.
The study aims to find new data on the nature of the late Ice Age environment during the development of the Mesolithic era, and the extent of the interaction between the inhabitants of Bouldnor Cliff and Europe, including the exchange of materials.
Professor Robin Allaby, who is leading the expedition, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to understand the lost world in which the Mesolithic developed using the latest techniques before our chance is gone.”
The study will involve a comprehensive palaeoenvironmental analysis, in addition to state-of-the-art techniques such as optical simulated luminescence for constructing ecological profiles. Furthermore, archaeologists intend to recover archaeological artefacts and environmental markers to reconstruct the past environment.
Dr Kinnaird adds: “This is an exciting research project to showcase the new innovations in luminescence dating, which can tell when an object was last exposed to the Sun. The relevance of this technique in writing the narratives for 4000 years of history, at the time that the British coastline was rapidly changing, is huge!”
According to the researchers, these discoveries carry the potential to significantly transform our comprehension of the era when Britain emerged as an island.
Header Image Credit : University of Warwick
Sources : University of Warwick
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study of the “Excalibur” sword found in Valencia has been revealed to have Islamic origins sometime during the 10th century AD.
Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain, founded under the name of Valentia Edetanorum by the Romans in 138 BC.
The city was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century AD, and was destroyed by Abd al-Rahman I of the Umayyad dynasty. Under Caliphate rule, the wider city area became known as Madînat al-Turâb (meaning “city of earth” or “sand”).
The sword was discovered back in 1994 in a house on Valencia’s Historiador Chabàs Street, where it was found standing upright in a grave beneath an Islamic era house.
Dubbed “Excalibur” due to the circumstances of its discovery, the sword is made from iron and has a hilt decorated with bronze plates. In mythology, Excalibur was the legendary sword of King Arthur and appears in various medieval poems describing Arthur pulling the sword from a stone.
However, the “Excalibur” from Valencia was found in a sedimentary strata from the 10th century AD and was likely the weapon of a cavalryman from the Andalusian Caliphate Era.
According to the archaeologists, the sword measures 46 centimetres in length and has a slightly curved blade towards the tip. Swords from this period are rarely found well-preserved due to the levels of oxygen and water in the soil that causes oxidation of the iron.
“It is the first Islamic sword that appears in the city of Valencia, with only one similar example being found during the excavations of Medina Azahara, the caliphal city of Abd al-Rahman III, in Córdoba,” said the Valencia City Council.
Header Image Credit : The Archaeology Service (SIAM) of the Valencia City Council
Sources : Valencia City Council
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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